THP Archives

On March 27th RedPoint Global & Harris Poll will roll out a benchmark study "Addressing the Gaps in Customer Experience" that delves into the disconnect between #marketers and #consumer expectations. Sign up for the Webinar, March 27, 1 pm ET - https://t.co/TGIZt7JfCY

On March 27 @HarrisPoll & @RedPointGlobal will present results of benchmark study "Addressing the Gaps in Customer Experience" delving into the disconnect between #marketers & #consumer expectations. Sign up for the webinar, 3/27, 1 pm ET to learn more - https://t.co/P5An1ffOGi

On March 27th RedPoint Global & Harris Poll will roll out a benchmark study "Addressing the Gaps in Customer Experience" that delves into the disconnect between #marketers & #consumer expectations. Sign up for the Webinar, March 27, 1 pm ET - https://t.co/TGIZt7JfCY

By David Nather | Axios
The red-blue divide has a big impact on Americans' views of companies, with only two — Wegmans and Publix Supermarkets — appearing on the top 10 list of favorite companiBy David Nather | Axios

The red-blue divide has a big impact on Americans' views of companies, with only two — Wegmans and Publix Supermarkets — appearing on the top 10 list of favorite companies for both Democrats and Republicans, according to an Axios-Harris Poll survey of corporate reputations.

The big picture: People's political views lead them in different directions. Democrats favor the Kraft Heinz Company, while Republicans like Chick-fil-A. But they agree more on the companies they hate — because bad performance affects everyone.

The main takeaways from the Axios-Harris Poll 100:

The big tech companies do better with Democrats than Republicans, at a time when they've been accused of being biased against conservatives. Even the low-ranked Twitter was slightly more popular among Democrats.

The most polarized companies were the Trump Organization — which scored highly with Republicans and dead last among Democrats — and Target, which did better among Democrats than Republicans.

When you include independents, Wegmans was the only company that made all three top 10 lists.

Independents' favorite company was Amazon.

The least favorite companies had privacy scandals (Facebook), other scandals (Wells Fargo), are going bankrupt (Sears), or cut off their customers' HBO (Dish).

Between the lines: Harris Poll CEO John Gerzema said it wasn't obvious why Kraft Heinz did so well with Democrats, since they don't have a clear political leaning. (Chick-fil-A has a more defined political identity since its founder opposed same-sex marriage, though it has been trying to play down politics to broaden its appeal.)

But Gerzema noted that Democrats gave Kraft Heinz a better rating on growth potential than Republicans, suggesting that Republicans may just think the company isn't likely to grow.

New data from an exclusive Axios/Harris poll finds that public perception of companies is deeply impacted by how much those companies can promise a better future for society.

Why it matters: Legacy brands are facing their stiffest competition yet from mission-driven upstarts. Many are hoping that marketing campaigns centered around "social good" will improve the narrative that older corporate giants are stodgy and ruthless.

By the numbers: According to the Axios-Harris Poll 100, which is based on 20 years of Harris research on brand reputation, the companies with the most momentum include brands that are making commitments towards bettering society.

"Amazon Prime delivers an unbeatable promise to make our lives simpler, Wegmans fosters home and hearth values in a divisive society, Samsung is leading the future of AI, Chick-Fil-A’s walks the talk, and Netflix empowers taste communities not traditional demographics," the study notes.

Be smart: Tech giants like Facebook and Google, which are under fire for issues around privacy, are losing momentum.

The Axios Harris Poll 100, which ranks the reputations of the 100 most visible companies in the U.S. by consumers, shows that Americans value stability and steadfastness, embracing brands untainted byThe Axios Harris Poll 100, which ranks the reputations of the 100 most visible companies in the U.S. by consumers, shows that Americans value stability and steadfastness, embracing brands untainted by deception or corruption, with Wegmans (#1), Amazon (#2), Patagonia (#3), L.L. Bean (#4) and Walt Disney (#5) ranking highest.

Several of the country’s most well-known brands lost favor among Americans with Facebook (-43), Tesla Motors (-39), McDonald’s (-29), Target (-23) and Nike (-22) taking the biggest dives while others remained at the bottom of the annual reputational list, such as Dish (#95), Wells Fargo (#96), Sears (#97), the Trump Organization (#98), Phillip Morris (#99) and the U.S. Government (#100).

Among the companies with the biggest reputational gains were Samsung (+28), Sony (+21), 21st Century Fox (+21), the Home Depot (+14) and Procter & Gamble (+12).

Tech Sector Wins and Losses

Facebook, which had the largest drop in the tech sector, was followed by Google (-13), from #28 in 2018, to #41 in 2019; and Apple (-3), which ranked as high as #2 in 2016, fell to #29 in 2018, and #32 in 2019.

“For two years in a row, the public has ranked data privacy as America’s most pressing social issue and consequently, it’s no surprise that tech giants perceived as egregiously mishandling users’ personal information had severe reputational losses,” said John Gerzema, CEO, The Harris Poll.

Other big tech brands saw their reputations rise or remain steady with Samsung (+28 / #7), Microsoft (+2 / #9) and Sony (+21 / #10). More specifically, Microsoft has been on a steady incline on the RQ since 2016, ranking at #20 from 2016-17, #11 in 2018 and now breaking into the top ten in 2019 at #9. Additionally, Microsoft ranked high on key RQ dimensions, taking #4 for Business Trajectory and achieving high marks for Trust (#19) and Character (#18)

“Americans are emotionally drained and disillusioned by corporate misdeeds, and rebuked companies wracked by ethical or financial wrongdoings and rocky leadership, and rewarded those who stayed out of the fray,” continued Gerzema.

Tesla’s Tumble

In 2018, Tesla took the top spot at #3, however this year, perhaps negatively impacted by its controversial CEO, Tesla’s rank dropped 39 points to #42 and had significant declines across ethical attributes such as Trust (-32), from #14 in 2018 to #46 this year and Ethics (-51), from #5 in 2018 to #56 this year.

Overview

For the biggest RQ winners and losers, please see the table below and for a full list of the Axios Harris Poll 100, please click here.

About the Axios Harris Poll 100The Axios Harris Poll 100 ranks the reputations of the most visible companies in the U.S. The survey is conducted among 18,288 Americans in a nationally representative sample. Powered by 20 years of proprietary research from The Harris Poll Reputation Quotient, The Axios Harris Poll 100 is a measurement of what real people think right now about the companies in our cultural conversation.

Who runs the world? Well, still, by and large, men. But gradually and strategically—women, if you pay attention to statistics. Over the past two decades, the number of women-owned businesses has grown 114%, compared to the 44% national growth rate for all new companies. As more women venture into entrepreneurship, they will tackle the laundry list of gaps women are continuing to change.

The past year was pivotal in bringing important issues to light. From #MeToo to #TimesUp and the unprecedented number of women running for public office, it was a revolutionary year that touched every industry and group, says corporate futurist for Ford Motor Company, Sheryl Connelly. The shift in dynamics and speech isn’t just happening stateside, but globally. Connelly points out that women internationally are standing together to assert greater control of their rights, their safety, their health, and their success too. “Women aren’t finding opportunities in traditional corporate paths that meet their needs and, as such, are pioneering their own path to find new avenues to flex their skills,” she adds.

1. MORE WOMEN WILL DEVELOP SIDE HUSTLES

By definition, entrepreneurism takes on many forms: From five-person startups to 200-strong enterprises and one-woman shows, becoming your own boss doesn’t follow a check-sheet of requirements. Connelly shares even if women aren’t prepared to hire another person in their big idea, women are more likely to develop a side hustle than men in the next year. According to a Harris Poll, 75% of women reported seeking a side hustle for additional income (compared to 58% of men) and 28% of millennial women are already in the throes of juggling. And a juggle it is, since Connelly shares women spend more time with one half of their attention in a traditional corporate job and another half in their gig life, in large because they aren’t funded or embraced at the same rate as men. The more they—ahem—hustle though, the better those numbers will change in their favor in years to come.

We're increasingly confronted with evidence of how harsh the world is today. Americans say our society feels more divisive now, and daily anxiety is rising, especially among young Americans. Faced with these external pressures, more of us are looking inward toward our spiritual, physical and mental health and well-being.

Our recent survey with Lululemon found that more than eight in 10 people believe wellness is not a fad, but a lifestyle. And of those surveyed, 71% want to achieve mind and body balance this year. Wellness and health in culture today is a "new wealth," where being well means status, luxury and experience.

And like all new trends, it seems to have an origin in Brooklyn. Wellvyl is a Brooklyn startup that caters to single-mingles who also have a penchant for working out and eating well. (We were curiously attracted to a post on their site entitled "Death, Abs and Smoothies.")

But as we age, there are now is a range of private-equity-funded startups that aim to improve teletherapy through apps like Healthloop and Onkol for digi-elder-care, as well as smart sheets that monitor insulin levels and provide screeners for cystic fibrosis. And somewhere in between, there are partnerships like The Mandarin Oriental and The Mayo Clinic, where a luxury spa includes a top-notch physical. Did you ever expect to click on a story about Mayo in The Robb Report?

My point is health is inside and out: The rise of genetic testing has led to personalized diets through startups like Habit and made-to-your-DNA workouts through STYR. Yet, wellness also extends to affinity groups like new parents, where digital bassinets like Hatch Baby capture baby metrics, and Sleep IQ smart beds track baby’s REM. There’s even Fitzania, an arcade that tracks kids’ biometrics while they play laser tag.

Wellness is not the property of some zany Sonoma retreat, but a pursuit by an ever-growing number of people and industries. Here’s how to think about your customers and their quest for better health and mindfulness:

Resist The Clinical

While it’s tempting to want to get "all pharma" on people, wellness is actually an all-encompassing mindset today, so products and services should be, too. According to our study, 64% of respondents want to improve physical health, but they also want to improve their financial health (57%), mental health (41%), relationship health (40%) and spiritual health (39%).

Consumers also want easier ways to manage their wellness goals. Aetna’s Health Ambitions study found that, if given an extra hour in the day, 60% of people would spend it on mental and physical well-being activities. How does your product or service help attain one or more of these desires? Frame wellness in the aspirational and the emotional. That’s how exercise equipment and media company Peloton gets us out of bed in the morning.

It’s All About Me

According to a recent report from Apple, the hottest trending apps in 2018 were in the “self-care” category, but new research signals that this is just the beginning of self-care trends. Our survey also found that 73% of respondents said that “2019 is the year I will achieve my ideal mind/body balance,” while 81% said, “In 2019, I will be more compassionate with myself."

Self-care will be a driving force in achieving a wellness lifestyle for the coming years, so make it personal. There are startups like Mirror that are providing virtual trainers and Somnox’s cuddly sleep robots that lull you to sleep with any calming audio you like. (There’s some artificial intelligence that doesn’t sound dystopian.)

Eat Like Tom Brady

While most of society is confused by labels and what’s bad for us, many people are simply editing their way to better health. According to the Celiac Disease Center, 1% of Americans have celiac disease, yet in our 2014 Harris Poll survey, 26% of Americans pursued some form of gluten-free diet that year. People feel increasingly empowered to make their own selections. This week it’s keto; what is the next trend in deprivation?

All of these signs point to a new reality for marketers: Consumer-centric brands have a leg up in keeping pace with consumers in the wellness lifestyle revolution. From holistic services and products, convenience, personalization, transparency and ethics, consumers have raised the bar with new expectations from the brands they love. This signals a new opportunity for marketers to authentically relate to their audiences by thinking past earning impressions and more toward holistically connecting and creating value exchanges with consumers.